But now 'twere best thou bestraddle thine ass and make for the
market and fetch me a pair of frails, [FN#223] and I will look
after the fish till thou return, when I and thou will load it on
thine ass's back. I have scales and weights and all we want, so
we can take them with us and thou wilt have nothing to do but to
hold the scales and pouch the price; for here we have fish worth
twenty dinars. So be fast with the frails and loiter not."
Answered the Caliph, "I hear and obey" and mounting, left him
with his fish, and spurred his mule, in high good humour, and
ceased not laughing over his adventures with the Fisherman, till
he came up to Ja'afar, who said to him, "O Commander of the
Faithful, belike, when thou wentest down to drink, thou found a
pleasant flower-garden and enteredst and tookest thy pleasure
therein alone?" At this Al-Rashid fell a laughing again and all
the Barmecides rose and kissed the ground before him, saying, "O
Commander of the Faithful, Allah make joy to endure for thee and
do away annoy from thee! What was the cause of thy delaying when
thou faredst to drink and what hath befallen thee?" Quoth the
Caliph, "Verily, a right wonderous tale and a joyous adventure
and a wonderous hath befallen me." And he repeated to them what
had passed between himself and the Fisherman and his words, "Thou
stolest my clothes!" and how he had given him his gown and how he
had cut off a part of it, finding it too long for him. Said
Ja'afar, "By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I had it in mind
to beg the gown of thee; but now I will go straight to the
Fisherman and buy it of him." The Caliph replied, "By Allah, he
hath cut off a third part of the skirt and spoilt it! But, O
Ja'afar, I am tired with fishing in the river, for I have caught
great store of fish which I left on the bank with my master
Khalifah, and he is watching them and waiting for me to return to